A Different Life
by Nals
Summary: What if the schedule were different? Will Lightning have a change of attitude and heart? Will Lightning still end up with Sally? Will he end up with Marlene instead? And will Marlene be living a bachelorette's life throughout hers, or will she still be able to love Italia's superstar? There are many possibilities in a simple change of plans, and this is one of them.
1. Chapter 1

_I know I haven't finished LAL and LTF yet, but I wanted to try this. I really do. I've had it stuck in my mind since the second to the last chapter of 3IAC. x3 Note that I am only experimenting; please don't flame me if this doesn't go with the first movie._

_And I had trouble differentiating Francisco from Francesco. D: xD_

_**NOTE:** This story is for fun purposes only. Don't expect me to go full-time serious.  
_

* * *

_**A Different Life  
**__**Chapter One**_

He was the greatest racer in all of America. He was young, he was sly and smart, he was reckless, the women loved him. Everything, he knew it. Despite the crumby corporation he sponsored, he was at the height of his time. And he wasn't even twenty-five yet!

Rookie racer Lightning McQueen stood in his rented penthouse, gazing out into the Los Angeles skyline, a coupe of champagne in his hands. His next race was in Los Angeles, and all he had to do was to wait.

"Hey McQueen," his driver called.

"What is it, Mack?" Lighting frowned. He was expecting a serene night tonight. He didn't have to go out again.

"Er…phone. For you." Lightning beckoned the big man forward, and Mack slid the phone into Lightning's hand. "It's Harv."

"Hey Harv," he called into the receiver.

"_Hey, who's my big star?_" Harv crooned aloud, and Lightning smiled sheepishly.

"Who's my kick-ass agent?" Lighting replied smilingly.

Harv laughed slightly, then got down to business. "_Look, some magazine wants an interview from you._"

"Who?"

"_Some mag called _Cars Today," the agent replied. "_Know anything from that?_"

"Nah, all they'll probably want is pictures," Lightning said.

"_Well, it's good for publicity. Dusty and Rusty want you to go in the interview_."

"Man, do I really have to?"

_"They said, if you want to keep your sponsorship, you should do it._" Lightning swore he heard a page turn. "_The gal that wants to interview you is an awesome writer._"

Lightning pricked at the word 'gal', and instantly, his mouth figuratively watered. "When is this interview of mine?" he asked.

"_Well, immediately after your next race in Fontana is the press conference in Vegas_," Harv told him. "_You're staying in Vegas for a week, yeah? So you might want to hang in there for a while yet._"

_I'll be checking chicks in Vegas though; how do I fix that? _Lightning thought strategically, biting his lip. _I don't want to be stuck all day with a journalist!_

_"Hey, dude, you still there?_" Harv called out.

"Yeah, uh…this is just for publicity, right?" Lightning asked.

"_Yeah. Why?_"

"Nothing," he replied. "Just…nothing."

"_Well, you better get your racing pants on; you're leaving tomorrow,_" Harv reminded him. Lightning groaned. "_Hey, hey, hey, none of that. You signed the contract, I'm just keeping you in line here._"

Lightning exhaled. "Fine. Whatever."

"_Well, you better do good,"_ Harv told him. "_Second to last race of the year, you still ain't happy? That's going to take the bosses' cakes._" Harv sighed. "_Well, gotta go; some chick wants to see me._"

Lightning heard Harv greet a woman before the phone turned off, and a dial tone sounded. _That kick-ass agent of mine is getting laid before me; why can't I?_ he thought angrily, and shut off the phone, handing it back to Mack.

"So, anything I should do now?" Mack asked.

"No, you're good," Lightning replied. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Mack replied, and left the scene.

Lightning breathed deeply, and continued sipping his champagne. He was going to have to turn in early tonight; he knew all too well how much he needed sleep before a race. After taking a quick shower, he turned in for the night.

But the bed was big. He felt cold and alone. He wished he would have someone by his side; he's been lonely for a few weeks now, unable to land a pretty girl. He closed his eyes, and he drifted to sleep with a girl in mind.

_She lay there, in a hospital bed. She was quiet. He couldn't hear what the doctor was saying as he stared into the face of the girl. He didn't know her, but he knew he did, just that he couldn't recall._

_No IV's were attached to her right hand. Her hair was dark and wavy. He knew it was unnatural to see her hair untied. His hand caressed hers as the doctor left, and he felt a wave affection wash over him._

_He panicked. _Who was this girl, and why did he have feelings for her? _He didn't have any ties, at least, not like this._

_Her eyelids fluttered open, and he stared into green eyes._

_He blinked though, when he opened his eyes, he was in bed, but he wasn't in his bed in San Francisco. He was elsewhere, and he stared down at a head with dark hair that rested on his shoulder._

_He turned his head. He was in a shirt. _What?_ Why would he be in a shirt when a girl is just there?_

_The girl murmured something, and he answered something, and she looked up, smiling at him._

_There he saw those same green eyes._

He woke with a start at the sound of his alarm clock. He tapped the snooze and got up, shaking slightly.

Who was this girl, and what did she have to do with him?

No matter, he thought, and shrugged the dream away as Mack entered the penthouse and helped Lightning up.

"Had a rough night?" Mack asked, noticing the circles under Lightning's eyes.

"Ehh," Lightning shrugged. "Must be the champagne."

Mack didn't pry, and they moved out. Lightning checked over his racing car, but he was still caught up in his dream. _Who was that girl, and what did she have to do with him?_

It continued all through the day, but at least he made second place, just next to the King. Chick Hicks was furious as usual, but Lightning didn't mind today. He was too caught up in his thoughts.

* * *

_You guys might want to tell me how you hated it. :/ _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Six reviews in under two days and one chapter?**__ …That's awesome. xD I love me and my reviewers; thanks so much for your support! xD_

_Heheh, I don't really know what to say, __**Pancake**__. xDD_

_**anon**__, it's not like you don't know. O.o_

_xD __**Mere**__stuffins still being Merestuffins, as usual. xD_

_**SPOILERS: **__Maybe, but I intend to put Sally in, although I don't know how it goes, really, __**SpeedyStar95**__; I'll just see how it goes. xD_

_Wow. O.o __**tinkfan**__, if you need help, I can help. :) And the journalist has been mentioned bluntly in the summary. O.o_

_Hehe, did you now, __**Lightnescoinmyheartforever**__? xD _

_Oh, and, updated profile? x3 And I'm not sorry for short post! Hehe~_

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

"Alright featurettes, gather 'round; I'm going to give you back your articles for the final edits."

A small crowd formed around the woman who called as she gave out orders.

"Anderson, you're going to have to fix your introduction; it's digging a little deeper than actually having an abstract."

"Will do." A man left the group as he received his serial bus.

"Christopher, yours is going to need a little more detail; work with Angel on that."

"Check." Another man stepped out of the space, hurrying with a co-journalist.

"Alma, are you sure this is what we're looking for, what I told you to ask? Because I don't believe an inch of it."

"Yes, that's what he said."

The dark-haired woman stared at her co-journalist. "I still don't believe it," she said. "Check it again, and Mr. Earlwood won't like mistakes." She handed the paper to the girl, and she hurried away.

"Franco, yours is perfect," she praised a blond boy. "Give it to Sir Earlwood for the final edits."

The young man beamed. "Thank you Miss Stevenson!" he called, and hurried away excitedly.

She gave out more orders until she was finished. "Alright, for yesterdays' batch, I'd like to see what you've done," she called. "Papers to me!"

As the first group dispersed, another one formed, and soon, her desk was full of papers and hard drives again. She sighed, and got to work as soon as her space had been vacated.

"Marlene?"

"Yessir?" The woman who had given out papers and orders glanced up to her boss.

"Remember, you have an interview next week, her boss mused. "Las Vegas."

She nodded. "Las Vegas. Caesar's Palace."

The editor nodded in reply, and left.

"'Lene?"

"Yes, Cose?" the journalist called as she typed.

"What happened? To your friend?" Cose asked.

"He went into his racing career," Marlene sighed, shrugging.

"…what do you think will happen when you see him again?"

"I dunno."

"Do you think he'll be happy to see you?"

"Cosette, I don't know," she replied, frustrated. "I'm trying to edit here, yeah?"

"Alright; you didn't have to be so touchy," Cosette replied.

"Sorry," Marlene apologized.

"Eh," Cosette shrugged.

Before the writers knew it, it was closing tome for the building. The journalists started to leave, heading home for the night. Marlene started packing up her laptop and the papers she needed to edit.

"'Lene?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'll be able to find love?"

Marlene stared at her friend, who blushed in the half-light. "Maybe," she said. "You're a pretty girl, Cosette, with a beautiful name, if I must say so."

Cosette chuckled shyly. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I mean, Cosette Christienne Amadine-Fischer, wow," Marlene whispered. The friends chuckled, and a small silence ensued.

"I just remembered: you have an interview with Lewis Hamilton, yes? Next month?"

Cosette blushed. "I have."

Marlene smiled. "Good luck," she replied.

"It's not even near the date yet!" Cosette squeaked, and Marlene chuckled. "Will…will you help me out?"

Marlene scoffed. "Sure I will," she replied, grinning. She slung her bag strap over her shoulder, the rest of her papers she tucked under her arm. "Look, I better go," Marlene told her friend, and moved to kiss Cosette's temple. "See you tomorrow, Cose."

"'Bye," Cosette replied, and waved at her leaving friend.

Marlene boarded her slew, dark silver Audi R8 that was parked below, setting her thing in the passenger's seat. She turned the key in the ignition, and the sports car roared to life. Kicking the gears to revers then drive, she left the basement parking.

It took her about fifteen minutes to get from the magazine company to her apartment building with light traffic. As usual, she parked at her spot in the first level parking. She waved at the receptionist at the lobby before heading up the lifts. The elevators stopped at the thirtieth floor. After validating her security card, she entered, and put her things down by her desk, and she lay flat on the white covers of her bed, sighing. Another day has passed; tomorrow would be a new one.

She is twenty-three, currently working as an editor of the feature section of the prestigious magazine _Cars Today_, and as a feature journalist when she can. She was the company's best interviewer, having a few of the best articles, and of that few, they were nominated for an award. The next best thing would be to birth an article that would surely be awarded. She lived in an apartment, and aimed for the pricey penthouse just above her. She could afford her R8; why couldn't she do so with the penthouse? She lived not within a meager salary. On the contrary; she lived within a more than usual means, what with _Cars Today _being a major magazine.

Standing five-foot-five, sleek Marlene Johannes-Stevenson had flowing and wavy dark brown hair that she preferred to keep tied up. She wore glasses as a result of facing the monitor for years. But behind the magnifying lenses that were held up with a black frame were relatively pale green eyes, almost mint to the sight.


	3. Chapter 3

_Well, that's up to you to figure out, __**Mere**__~ ^-^ I've given a very obvious hint at the start, right?_

_Yes, you know introductory chapters, __**Pancake**__, hehehe~ x3_

_I just noticed: there isn't such a thing as an LA Motor Speedway. xD I changed it in Ch.1 for consistency, so there it is~_

* * *

_**Chapter Three**_

He and Mack boarded the trailer, and started driving towards Fontana, California. The rest of the team would follow.

"So, get any sleep last night?" Mack offered for conversation. "You don't seem very…rested."

"Ehh," he shrugged. He figured he could tell his driver. "Girl-ridden dreams."

Mack elbowed his racer smilingly. "Heheheh," Mack chuckled. "Ooh, someone's in love!"

"I am not," Lightning growled sullenly.

"Well, you look like it," Mack replied.

"I am not!" Lightning shot back, blushing thickly.

The driver only laughed. "Lightning, in the three and a half years I've been with you, I've never ever heard of you having a girl back home," he said. "What's her name?"

"I don't know," Lightning confessed, rubbing his arm as he looked out the window.

"Well, you actually have to know a girl's name first before you dream about her, right?" Mack smiled at Lightning.

"I know." Lightning frowned slightly.

"Then why-"

"I don't remember her, Mack!" Lightning spat, frustrated. "I don't remember a thing about her! I don't remember her name, or why I've been dreaming about her these days!" He sighed, and a painful silence followed. "I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to be shout."

"Eh; I get that all the time," the driver shrugged. "What..are these dreams showing you, at any rate?"

He might as well tell. "So far, the only things I know is that she's sort of in her twenties, still young, and she has dark brown hair." He looked out the windshield, and Mack was certain Lightning's blue eyes were wistful. "She has these beautiful green eyes, something I've never seen before. And…I always see her smiling at me." He sighed.

Mack pat Lightning's shoulder slightly. "You've got it bad, Lightning," he said gently. "You've got it bad."

* * *

This was it: the race at the Auto Club Speedway. He took a deep breath, and the scent of dust, exhaust and petrol filled his nostrils. He stared ahead, at the taillights of the car in front of him as he settled in the pits, his hands on the steering wheel. He then closed his eyes.

"Speed," he murmured. "I am speed."

As the announcement cane for the racers to enter the track, he revved away, and he heard the cheers of his fans over the engine. He grinned. He was a rookie that raced his way into the Piston Cup Championship. People admired his recklessness and his youth, as well as his looks. He was loved, and he knew it. And he'd do anything to keep that love.

* * *

Fifty laps around a circular track, and they were more than halfway through. He was running second as usual, just behind his hero, Strip "The King" Weathers. Right behind was Chick Hicks, a badass driver that'd do anything for the win.

Lightning checked his dashboard. "Charles, I'm going to have to pit; fuel's running low."

"Gotcha," his crew member radioed in, and at the next turn, Lightning turned to get himself into position to head for the pit lane. He turned to the lane, and his crew got to work.

"I just noticed, Darrel," Bob Cutlass called, "Lightning McQueen just booted his second crew chief this season!"

"Well, you know Lightning; always independent," Darrell Cartrip replied.

* * *

"Only three laps to go, and Lightning McQueen has a huge lead," Bob Cutlass said.

_Just hold on for a while longer, Lightning,_ he told himself. _Just hold on._

"There's no contest," Darrel Cartrip shouted excitedly. "Lightning McQueen is sure to get his twenty-five points!"

There was just ten turns left. Just two and a half rounds of the track left. That was all he had left, and he would surely take the win.

Lightning made the third turn, and a few meters away was the fourth. He grinned as he crossed the finish line, turning three laps to the last two. He ran down the straight that led to the first turn, and glanced at the rearview mirrors. The King was right behind him, Chick right on the blue Plymouth's tail. Lightning pushed on, but someone radioed in.

"McQueen, your tires are getting thinned out!" Charles called in.

"They'll last the last two, Charles!" Lightning spat.

"Do you want to win or not, Lightning?" Charles snarled. "If those tires burst, you're sure to lose this race!"

Lightning hissed curses as he turned to the pit lane. His crew got to work, and Lightning itched to get back on the track. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" he shouted at his crew. "We're getting behind here!"

At the last word, his car was lowered and he sped away with a full tank and four new tires. But it wasn't enough. He was extremely behind, and he had to work one lap to get back to the top three. But not even his quick reflexes can get him to the top three fast enough.

"Whoa, looks like Lightning can't get to the front fast enough!" Bob Cutlass commented. "Looks like he's going to have to sit back for a while!"

At that comment, Lightning vowed he would prove Bob wrong. He twisted and turned, and gained slightly faster than before. Soon enough, at the third turn of the last lap, he was right behind Chick.

"Haha, looks like McQueen's on my tail again, boys," Chick called in to his crew, smiling as he glanced at Lightning through his rearview mirrors.

Lightning gritted his teeth. Confident Chick only blocked Lightning by turning the wheel slightly, and the younger racer hissed in frustration. But he slammed the pedal to the metal, and passed racer 86 with a triumphant laugh. The only one left was The King.

Just a few more meters, and the King won't budge. And he crossed the finish line, taking on a poor second again.

He stood at the winner's circle, once again standing next to The King, opposite to Chick Hicks. He, once again, had received 18 points.

But he didn't dwell on that. The weight and the drive to win had disappeared with his victory. He dwelt on other things, and he didn't even hear what the announcer said. But he heard when it was time to step off, he did so.

* * *

He gave his crew the night off for celebration, even if they didn't win, and Lightning returned to his hotel suite. He lay flat on his bed, exhausted. The dreams didn't help, either.

For five nights in a row, he'd dreamed of the same girl: nineteen years with dark hair and green eyes, always smiling at him. He'd felt affection and ardor as he stared at her, and he didn't know why . His heart swelled at every smile, and at the prospect of her leaving, his heart twisted.

He didn't know where these dreams came from or who that girl was or why he was dreaming about her.


	4. Chapter 4

_I wanted a second conflict to start here, and it will probably be important in the future...and this will lead to a sequel, I know. x_x Poor me, always doing sequels! Hehe~ And I'm sure two chapters for this weekend are enough for you guys. xD_

_Oh, and be sure to read the new summary; I changed it. 78D_

_Dah! Ugly typos are ugly! x_x_

* * *

_**Chapter Four**_

Marlene awoke at a usual seven in the morning. She stretched, smiling and scratched her eyes, yawning. She winced at the calendar; it was a day before she would move to Vegas.

She had packed her things the other night, packing shirts and pants and at least one dress. Minor jewelry and make-up filled a part of one of her suitcases. She packed any other essentials in another bag. The papers and articles in serial buses she had brought home last week to two days before were edited and proofread sent back for further editing. Her laptop bag was ready and waiting. Allowance and any extra money she had were already in her wallet. She had reserved a room in Caesar's Palace. And she had been allowed to start her leave yesterday.

Grabbing a mug of the morning decaf brew, she gazed out the windows of her modern-style apartment that stretched from the floorboards to the ceiling. She sighed, warming her fingers on the white ceramic. She thought about her best friend, the times they would race as children on their bikes, the times they would just sit and talk, the times they would defend each other when the need arises. They were there for each other, no matter what happened.

He had perfectly blond hair; it wasn't brown, it wasn't yellow, but a perfect combination of both. He had these deep blue eyes, that when light shone on them in the right angle, she would see the details that lay in the dark most of the time. He was relatively fit, as she had last seen him. Now she didn't know what he looked like. She hadn't the time to check out many pictures or videos about him; just plain text as she followed the various fields of motorsport.

She thought of him almost everyday when she could. In the four years they'd been apart, she missed him so much. She would remember everyday how happy they were, how many trials they'd faced together. There was just one question in her heart: did he remember her, too?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the the white front door.

"Coming!" she called, and she opened her door to find a friend. She grinned. "Hey Benji," she greeted.

"Hey," a male replied. "I, er, just wanted to say good-bye."

She blinked. "I don't leave until eight tomorrow morning, and what are you doing up so early in the morning?"

He grinned sheepishly as he shifted his weight, uncomfortable. "Nothing, I just…I just remembered."

She smiled. "Aw, that's so sweet."

"Yeah-h, well." He chuckled again. "Did you want to come in?"

"Sure."

She made way for him and shut the door. She offered a seat on her cream couch. "Did you want coffee or anything?"

"Thanks; a mug would be nice," he told her, and she returned with a second mug.

She settled by him, tucking her legs under her. "So, what did you see me for?"

"Nothing much," he said. "I just thought you'd be going already.

She smiled. "Not yet."

He nodded, and sipped as she did. "You know, this is the first time I caught you in satin PJ's," he told her, pinching the fabric slightly.

She rolled her eyes. "So?"

He shook his head. "So nothing."

Awkward silence ensued, and, finally feeling uncomfortable and curious, she asked, "I know you're here for something else, Benji. What is it?"

He stared at her. "I have no idea; you invited me in."

She frowned slightly. "I've known you for two years, Benjamin Phillip Lucas Sanders-Rodriguez; there's hardly a way that you do something without a purpose," she replied.

He stared at his mug. "Well, maybe I could break the tradition sometime."

she pursed her lips slightly, looking away. IT was silent between them once more.

I-" Both had spoken in unison, staring at each other, and they laughed.

"You go first," she prodded.

"I came here because, well, I just wanted to visit, I guess," he replied, blushing slightly, looking away.

She smiled slightly. "I've seen how you've been acting around me for the last seven months, Benji," she told him. "There has always been that excuse: 'I just wanted to visit'."

Benji scratched his head, looking away.

"What's the reason for it, Benji?" she asked softly.

He shook his head.

"Benji?" she called, and he stared at her. Her gaze was gentle and pleading. "Please?"

"I like you, alright?" he growled, frustrated. "I…I was afraid of you leaving." He stared at her, eyes fierce. "You're the only friend I have in the apartment, MArlene. The only one that lets me in, anyway." He turned away, sighing. "Truth is, I don't' want you to leave," he told her, frowning.

"Well, I don't think I'll actually be leaving," she told him, and as he turned his head, he saw her smiling shyly. "It's only for a week," she said simply.

"But anything can happen in one week!" he exclaimed. "For all I know, you could win the lottery!"

She chuckled. "All I'm going to do is go and interview Lightning McQueen; nothing too extravagant."

"But aren't those guys kinda…over-the-top?" She only looked at him, bewildered. "I've watched how McQueen acts on TV. He's just so…arrogant," the told her. "And I don't want you to get knocked up."

Fury flared in her green gaze. "Benjamin, don't say that!" she shrieked, glaring at him. "Don't' you ever say that!" Her tone was an agitated hiss.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."

"Next time, just don't, alright?" she replied softly. He nodded, and she scooted to his side.

"Wha-?"

"Don't think I can't like you after a year," she told him. She didn't meet his gaze as she spoke.

Smilingly, he drew his arm around her, casually bringing the ceramic brim to his lips. "You know what?"

"What?"

"The TV's a little blank and I don't' mind."

She chuckled softly. "Neither do I."

He grinned, and pressed his face to her hair.

Benjamin Phillip Lucas Sanders-Rodriguez was Marlene's neighbor, having an apartment just across the hall. The young man was twenty-four, roughly six months oder than her. He works as an engineer in a nearby power plant, and despite his relatively high-paying job, he lives in an apartment, starting a few months before Marlene moved in.

He stood a fair five-foot-ten, and was relatively fit, what with the job being as physical as it was mental. He had mysterious, dark brown eyes with straight, same-color hair, cropped at the sides and the back and left long at the front. Most of the other women in the apartment preferred him, what with Benjamin being tall, dark and handsome, but he didn't prefer any of them. He rather preferred his neighbor, a journalist


	5. Chapter 5

_Wow, ugly typo in the last chapter. O.o I'm so terribly sorry for that; fast typing is fast. xD_

_Thanks to __**Mere**__ and __**Pancake**__ for noticing that; I don't usually proofread because I'm sure about what I type unless I know I've clicked a key wrong. xDD_

_And yes, __**Pancake**__, it is a branch off the Stevenson saga. And I'm sorry I have to fix that typo; parents will probably flame, but I WILL give you the old version of that in a DocX connection for your convenience~ xD And how do you propose I call Chick? O.o First word that popped in my head and I didn't look back, sorry._

_O really, __**Mere**__? xD I didn't think I wrote them well; I was actually bored doing it because I wanted to move on, but I had to extend it to fit that minimum-1000-words limit of mine. xD_

* * *

_**Chapter Five**_

It was just five hours after the race, and Lightning was now in Las Vegas, Nevada: the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Nothing particularly interested him here; he'd been here three times already, and had toured Vegas twice. He sighed as he looked out the window, watching people stare out the window to see his trailer. Although, as he caught sight of the casinos, he'd remembered he'd be able to get drunk and play and party all night. Although that wasn't really what his sponsors would want and what the public would want, so that should be out of the question. But surely, he can _play_?

They stopped at the front of Caesar's Palace, and Mack told him he'd send up Lightning's stuff later. Lightning went in, and, seeing as that Harv wasn't there(as usual), he moved to the reception to check in.

"I reserved a room," he muttered to the receptionist.

"Name?"

"Lightning McQueen."

The receptionist stared at him with wide eyes before ordering a bellhop to escort the racer upstairs. She claimed to have Lightning given the utmost service and respect, and he smiled inwardly. This is what he got for being a rookie in a major league of stock car racing.

He was upstairs in a few minutes, and was shown the layout of the suite. The bellhop was dismissed soon after, and, exhausted, Lightning slammed down, face-up, on the bed. With finally nothing to do, his mind wandered to the girl in his dreams.

He still wondered about the questions when he was driving with Mack, and the driver entered with his stuff. Lightning sat up, quite startled out of his thoughts.

"Erm, here's your stuff," Mack told his racer, and cleared his throat. "The interviewer will be here in a few days."

Lightning only nodded. "Did you reserve a room, too?"

Mack only shook his head. Frustrated, Lightning reached for the phone and dialed reception.

"_Yes?_"

"This is Lightning McQueen," he spoke into the receiver.

"_Mr. McQueen? Is there a problem?_" She sounded worried.

"I'd like to request a suite as big as mine for my driver," he almost growled.

"_Er…sir?_"

"You heard me," he snarled, annoyed by the hotel's standards. "Reserve a suite on the floor mine is for my driver!" he snapped.

"_Y-yessir!_" The receptionist's voice shook, and he slammed the phone onto its rest.

"…that went well," Mack replied casually, but when Lightning turned, the driver was smiling.

"I just can't leave you out all alone, can I?" he told his only friend.

Mack's brows turned up. "Are you serious?"

"Come on, man; you're my driver. Any luxury I have you should enjoy, too." Lightning pat him on the back. "For good times' sake."

Mack was absolutely grinning when a bellhop appeared at the door. "Sir?" The boy turned to the driver. "Your key." He presented a room key, and Mack smiled at Lightning.

"Thanks."

"Anytime," Lightning replied, and Mack went off to be shown to his new luxury suite.

"Oh, and Lightning?" Mack's head popped past the doorway once more, and Lightning raised his brows in reply. "Your interviewer will be here in a few days."

Lightning only nodded, and Mack disappeared once more. Lightning settled himself on the bed after closing the door. He didn't know who his interviewer was, just that she was sexy or pretty, as Harv proved in their last phone call, and that his interviewer would be a female. Just that, and nothing else. He didn't read _Cars Today_, and he didn't care if he needed to.

But that wasn't on his mind now. He was as tense as ever as he thought of the girl in his dreams, and decided to take a bath. But there still was no luck as he stepped out of the shower with just a towel around his waist. He took up a glass of champagne, not bothering to change, and stared out to the Las Vegas skyline, his free hand on his waist. He frowned, still wondering.

Frustration claimed him throughout the evening. He wasn't hungry enough to go down for dinner, and too geared up to sleep. But eventually, he slipped to unconsciousness.

_He opened his eyes to find himself facing a beautiful sunset. He sighed, and he didn't know why a happy and contented feeling settled in his heart, like he wanted to sleep, but didn't want to. _

_He glanced around. He was on the rooftop of a building. As he turned his head though, he found a dark-haired head on his shoulder. He felt that familiar yet unfamiliar wave of affection he'd felt in the previous dreams again, and his gaze instinctively softened._

_"Do you think we'll be together someday?" she whispered, her fingers tightening on his other hand._

_"Maybe," he murmured mindlessly. _Where did that come from?_ he wondered._

_He felt her smile in the movement of her cheek, and he turned his head to kiss her hair. "I love you," he whispered._

_She glanced up at him, and he saw those pretty green eyes again. He felt so much right now, so much that he didn't understand. "I love you too," she replied as softly._

_He smiled slightly, and he closed his eyes, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I'll never forget you," he murmured._

_"Neither will I," she replied, and her hold on him tightened as his did._

_Never forget, he thought oddly. _Never.


End file.
